16 March 2017. Cafés are popular meeting points where people discuss current issues and exchange views. The Science Café of the Science et Cité Foundation invites the general public to discussions with experts. On three evenings, experts from the PHSG, the FHS St.Gallen and the HSG will discuss "Tap water as a human right", "Eastern Switzerland 4.0" and the St.Gallen CSIO Show-Jumping Tournament with the general public; admission will be free of charge.

The nationally active Science et Cité promotes the dialogue between academia and society. It is legally and ideologically independent. The Science Café of Science et Cité enriches the range of services offered by St.Gallen’s institutions of tertiary education. The HSG, the PHSG and the FHS St.Gallen are joining forces for this series of events for the third time in a row. The series deliberately refrains from offering lectures; rather, the focus will be on discussions with the guests over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

All the debates will take place on Wednesdays in the St.Gallen Textile Museum from 5.30-7.00 p.m. the detailed programme can be found on the pages of the FHS St.Gallen. This time, the focus will be on the following issues:

22 March 2017: Tap water as a human right

The City of St.Gallen and its three institutions of tertiary education (HSG, FHS St.Gallen and PHSG) have been members of the Blue Community Initiative since September 2016. Cities, municipalities, universities and other institutions which bear the Blue Community label recognise the human right to water. They pay attention to a sustainable use of water and espouse the cause for the supply and utilisation of water to remain in the public sector. Blue Communities encourage people in their environments to drink more tap water again. The panel will consist of:

• Massimo Pedretti, in charge of energy projects in the Office of Environment and Energy, City of St.Gallen
• Dr. Esther Giger Robinson, Co-Director of the International Office, Department of Economics, FHS St.Gallen
• Stefanie Graf, Chief of Staff, Rector’s Board, responsible for the Blue University project, PHSG
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Dyllick, Professor of Sustainability Management, University of St.Gallen

Chair: Prof. Dr. Sibylle Minder Hochreutener, Vice-Rector, FHS St.Gallen

26 April 2017: The digital revolution in Eastern Switzerland

What does the "digital revolution" mean for Eastern Switzerland? How will the increasing speed at which technological changes and innovations are adapted and anticipated impact on economic, social and cultural conditions in Eastern Switzerland? To what extent is the digital future a threat or an opportunity for Eastern Switzerland? Such questions will be discussed by

• Prof. Dr. Peter Jaeschke, Director of the Institute of Information and Process Management, FHS St.Gallen
• Prof. Ralph Kugler, Co-Director of the Institute of ICT & Media, PHSG
• Tanja Schneider, PhD, Permanent Lecturer in Sociology, Institute of Sociology, SfS-HSG

Chair: Prof. Dr. José Gomez, Head of the Center for Higher Education, FHS St.Gallen

31 May 2017: CSIO St.Gallen

People say that the Concours de Saut International Officiel or CSIO is as much a part of the city as the Olma bratwurst sausage. The Swiss CSIO has been one of the world’s best four outdoor equestrian events ever since 1993. What started off as a simple horse-riding tournament is now an international competition between tournaments and locations. The people involved strive for attention and image for four days. Tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium and hundreds of thousands of TV viewers follow the tournament every year. The question arises: who is the actual winner of the Longines CSIO St.Gallen? And what makes this show-jumping event so successful? These questions will be debated by

• Nayla Stössel, OC President Longines CSIO St.Gallen
• Markus Fuchs, former international show-jumper
• Isabel Schorer, Head of Location Development, City of St.Gallen
• Christophe Jeanneret, Brand Manager Swiss Market, Longines

Chair: Prof. Dr. Titus Guldimann, PHSG

Science et Cité

The nationally active Science et Cité is the spiritus rector of this series of events. Besides Science Café at university locations, it also organises exhibitions, festivals and conferences. Science et Cité champions the appreciation and understanding of all sciences and debates their opportunities and limitations.